Kukla's Korner Hockey

National Hockey League commissioner Gary Bettman is one of the most skilled practitioners of that 21st century communication phenomenon known as staying "on message." No matter what the question, or the controversy, or the issue, Bettman never strays very far from a series of practised answers to any of the hot-button topics that occasionally arise in the new NHL.
Accordingly, when Bettman spoke to reporters in St. Louis Tuesday night during a Penguins-Blues' game, and acknowledged that the Pittsburgh team might be obliged to move if a new arena project isn't approved, that constituted a significant deviation from his previous "make nice" stance.